leaycbaft



2 Sh'eets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

B. s. LEAYORAPT.

DELIVERY SWITCH FOR PNEUMATIC TUBES.

Patented June 19, 1883.

tIIIfIIIIfI/ffffI/lll/I N. PETERS. Phnlo-Lilmgnpher, Washington 0.6.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2,

E. S. LEAYGRAFT. DELIVERY SWITCH FOR PNEUMATIC TUB ES.

No. 279,574. Patented June 19,1883.

R .3 mm \MWk a 2@ M MUL mam GK PETERS, FholwLilhographer. Washington D. c.

UNITED STATES EDXVIN S. LEAYCRAFT, OF

PATENT. OFFICE JERSEY CITY, NE JERSEY.

DELIVERY-SWITCH FOR PNEUMATIC TUBES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 279,574, dated June 19, 1883.

Application filed January II, 192 3. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWIN S. LEAYORAFT, a citizen of the United States, residing in Jersey City, in the State of New Jersey, have'invented a new and useful Improvement in Delivery-Switches for Pneumatic Tubes, of which the following, taken in connection with the accoinpanying drawings, is a full, clear, and accurate description.

In the drawings, Figure 1. represents a sectional view of my improved delivery-switch as operated by electricity. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same.

A is a section of the main tube in a pneumatie-tube system.

B is a delivery-tube attached thereto, pro vided with the valves 0 and D.

E E represent curved strips or fingers, of metal, pivoted to the outside of the main tube A, at its junction with the tube B, passing and extending to the other side of the tube A, to the recess a of the main tube A, and are of "such a length as to extend over the opening I) at the junction of the tubes A and B. The pivot e, to which the fingers E E are attached, is provided with the lever F, having at its end the armature H. y

G is an .ordinary electro-magnet, supported just below the armature H, and connected by means of suitable wires with a battery or other source of electricity and a key, K.

The portion of the tubeB between the valves 0 and D is enlarged, and the lower portion thereof made double, the inner tube being cut, at the end near the valve 0, into V-shaped proj ections of such size as to allow the V-shaped leaves of said valves to pass through them when the valve is open, and the outer tube having projections P for said V-shaped valve-leaves to rest on.

The mode of operation is as follows: The fingers E E, by their weight, occupy a position in the main tube A, as shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 1, being immediately over the opening I) of the main tube A and its connection with the tube 13, thus allowing the carrier or package placed in the main tube A to pass directly through the same. When, however, it is desired to switch the carrier or package into the delivery-tube B the key K is pressed, and the magnet G, being energized, attracts the armature H, thus pulling down the lever touch the upper side of the tube A. The carrier or package passing through the tube A is forced against these fingers, and thus deflected 'into the delivery-tube B through the opening I), opening by its momentum thevalve C, and thence passing through the exit-valve D, the enlargement of the tube Bbetween the valves 0 D permitting a free movement of the carrier through these valves, and preventing it from being sucked back by the current of air from the exit-valve D. The enlargement of the tube B, provided with the two valves 0 and I), is to overcome the following difliculty: If the tube B were merely provided with a single valve, the air, on the valve being opened by the momentum of the carrier, would tend to rush into the tube through the opening so made, forcing the valve to close and the carrierto be carried back before it was discharged from said tube. By placing a second valve, 1), below the first valve, ,6, and slightly enlarging the tube between the two valves, the carrier is permitted to pass entirely clear of the valve 0 before the valve D is opened, and before communication is established through the tube B with the outer air. the momentum of the carrier, the air, rushing, as aforesaid, through the open valve D, passes alongside the carrier into the large portion of the tube between the valves, thence against the leaves of the valve (1, closing the same, and stopping all further action of the air in said enlarged portion of the tube and any tendency of backward suction of the carrier.

Instead of using the armature H and the magnet G, witlr its electrical connections, the leverF may be operated in any desired wayfor instance, by an ordinary bell-pull and wire, or by an auxiliary pneumatic tube operating a plunger attached to the end of said lever, or

by a steanrpipe having a pistonconnected with said lever, and, in fact, by any suitable means.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 18-- 1. A switch for changing the course of a car rier or object passing through the main tube of a pneumatic system, consisting of movable fingers pivoted to the main tube and moving therein, and actuated by alever attached there- 'to, in combination with a switch or delivery F and raising the fingers E E until .the ends \Vhen the valve D is opened by similar valve placed at any desired position in said tube, with the portion of said tube between said valves enlarged, substantially as described, and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 30th day of December, 1882.

E. S. LEAYCRAFT.

In presence of "Hiuarlns G. Con, R. T. VAN BOSKERCK. 

